Dictionary of Ebike Terms and Acronyms

[ebikemom]

So an internal geared hub is different from a geared hub motor?

 

[J.R.]

So an internal geared hub is different from a geared hub motor?

Yes. An IGH takes the place of the rear cog cluster (cassette or freewheel) and derailleur. One can't add an IGH to a hub motor bike unless it's a front hub motor bike.

 

[JRA]

"One can't add an IGH to a hub motor bike unless it's a front hub motor bike"

Don't tell TDCM that, they make a hub motor with an internal 5spd.: https://www.ebikes.ca/shop/electric-bicycle-kits/tdcm-igh/tdcm-igh-kit-advanced-pas.html

 

[J.R.]

"One can't add an IGH to a hub motor bike unless it's a front hub motor bike"

Don't tell TDCM that, they make a hub motor with an internal 5spd.: https://www.ebikes.ca/shop/electric-bicycle-kits/tdcm-igh/tdcm-igh-kit-advanced-pas.html

Not really the same as adding an IGH to a hub motor bike. Nice unit though.

 

[JRA]

Semantics. But it does lend some credence to EBM's IGHDM definition.

 

[Alex M]

Since you're an administrator, you could compile the most frequently used acronyms and put them in a "sticky" in the "Introductions and Bike Garage" or in another place.

It would be easier, cleaner, and more professional to compile a list of glossaries and 101 already existing. Like Sheldon Brown, Ebikeschool etc. People need to "understand" what is this or that. Information without comprehension is easily forgotten at best, and dangerous at worst. Especially when it comes to electricity.

When someone doesn't understand the relationship between energy and power - or current, voltage and power, he'll keep on confusing amps and amp-hours or amp-hours and watt-hours. I wouldn't want to be anywhere near when he decides to test his newly completed DIY system ...

LED is not a "bulb", dammit... Even when it looks like one.

 

[6zfshdb]

LED is not a "bulb", dammit... Even when it looks like one.

Check your terminology. Miriam Webster defines a "bulb" as "a glass envelope enclosing the light source of an electric lamp or such an envelope together with the light source it encloses". A bulb is an enclosure, not what's inside.

A filament isn't a bulb either but it becomes one when put in a spherical enclosure. The same is true with a light emitting diode. Be it technically correct or not, both are universally considered to be "light bulbs".

 

[ebikemom]

Like Sheldon Brown, Ebikeschool etc

Feel free to share links!

My main interest in this thread is to help members who aren't tech-savvy to understand the terms used here. Acronyms, in particular can be pretty opaque and googling may not be very effective. My motivation for starting this thread was my googling of "IGH", which google thinks is a hotel chain ("Do you mean IHG?") or a medical term.

 

[elliot friedman]

I have one if it wasn't mentioned above....ft.lbs (foot pounds) and nm (newton meters). 1.36nms is 1 ft lb. measuring torque.
Torque, in this case, is the Force applied perpendicular to a pivot point, or the amount of Force on the bolt when attaching bicycle components together.

For all who take on the task of maintaining their bikes, they're measurements that should be followed. When bike components are attached with bolts, a specific torque, in newton meters, is recommended as not to compromise the integrity of the parts. Many times, it's specified right next to the bolt's hole on the bike.

A torque wrench is a tool used to apply a specific torque to a fastener such as a nut or bolt. It is usually in the form of a socket wrench with special internal mechanisms. These tools are especially mandatory when working with fragile carbon components.

 

[AHicks]

I'll toss this out, but will not be offended in the least if somebody can improve on the wording!

Ghost pedaling = while your feet are pedaling at a speed corresponding to your ground speed. You are physically adding very little energy to the total required to move the bike at the current speed.

 

[Jaxx]

Ankling???

 

[Jaxx]

Also, in the era of Trump "False Pedalling"

 

[ebikemom]

Ghost pedaling

That's a new term for me! If my bike is going very fast, that's all I can do because the gearing doesn't go high enough to take a bite out of it!

 

[AHicks]

That's a new term for me! If my bike is going very fast, that's all I can do because the gearing doesn't go high enough to take a bite out of it!

I can't take the credit for it. I read it somewhere and for whatever reason the term just stuck in my head. I know what you're saying about not being able to pedal any faster at speed, but "ghost pedaling" can be done at any speed you like.

 

[AlanDB]

Also referred to as "clown pedaling" by some. See this discussion: https://electricbikereview.com/forums/threads/is-there-a-term-for-this.23992/

 

[JRA]

Also ghost/clown/faux pedaling is more associated with cadence sensing PAS than torque sensing. In a high level of assist with a cadence sensing system the magnets do all the work for you as the cranks go around and few bikes have gearing high enough to be effective at even 20mph. You can try this sometime by shutting off the system on a downhill and see how fast you can be going and still be feeling resistance at the pedals. The same effect can be felt at lower speeds also and lower levels of assist.

With torque assist you activate the system via pedal pressure and the harder you pedal the more assistance you will get up to the assist level and gear ratio selected. But they are still limited by a high enough gear ratio on the upper end so that in a high level of assist at speed you won't feel much input into the pedals which is really what the former terms are about.

 

[bob armani]

What throws me off a lot is the different tire size measurements ie: diameters and width.

• 650B
• 24 inch
• 26 inch
• 27.5
• 27.5+
• 700c
• 29er
• 28-36cms etc.

 

[michwalker]

Hi . maybe it is covered before but can anyone tell what is mosfet? I check online and most explain it in very technical terms. Can someone explain their functions in simple way

 

[Mr. Coffee]

A MOSFET is a kind of transistor. A transistor in an electric circuit acts like a switch or a valve. (Note that the previous sentence is a gross oversimplification).

 

[Deleted member 18083]

What throws me off a lot is the different tire size measurements ie: diameters and width.

Bob …
It has all been worked out for us by ETRTO (European Tyre & Rim Technical Organisation) which is recognised as the international authority – so far as bicycle tyres are concerned – by the International Organization for Standardization, abbreviated as ISO (from the Greek isos, meaning equal – no language is permitted to dominate!).

ETRTO sizes are unambiguous – exact measurements always take precedence over nominal measurements.

For ebikes with full-size wheels there are…

• 3 ETRTO rim diameters – 559, 584 and 622 mm;
• 3 ETRTO tyre diameters – 559, 584 and 622 mm.

All of these are exact measurements of the bead seat diameter shared by rim and tyre; they are not nominal figures.

As well as diameters, rims come in various widths (exact measurements); tyres come in various widths (nominal measurements – rubbery figures).

To avoid any confusion, the way in which rim and tyre classifications are expressed is clearly different. Here are the figures for my ebike (I'll plagiarise this from the R&M forum!)…

• Rims: 584X35C
• Tyres: 57-584

Explanation:

• 584 is the bead seat diameter shared by rim and tyre.
• 35 is the internal width of the rim.
• C stands for 'crochet' or 'clincher' – nothing whatever to do with the C in 700C which is essentially meaningless.
• 57 is the nominal width of the tyre.

Decision Time:
Will using ETRTO rim and tyre specifications get rid of the confusion?

• Yes, if you replace the muddle and use ETRTO on its own (why not?).
• No, if you add ETRTO to the muddle (yet more confusion!).

… David